The incident occurred in the top of the second inning when Oakland infielder Brett Lawrie's bat shattered during contact with a pitch and flew into the stands.

A police spokeswoman told the Globe that a female fan seated with her husband and son in the second row of stands along the third base line was struck in the head by a shard of the bat.

ESPNBoston.com reported the woman was "bleeding pretty profusely," and that a nearby fan offered his shirt to medics for their use. A small child nearby was "shaken up" and shielded from the scene by a law enforcement officer, according to the Globe.

The victim could be heard screaming as she was removed from the stadium on a gurney, WEEI radio reported.